Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians

413 Pages·1960·23.204 MB·English

by  F. W. Grosheide

lHENEW
I TERNATIONAL
COMMENTARY
ONlHE
NEW
F. W. GROSHEIDE
THE NEW INTERNATIONAL COMMENTARY ON THE
NEW TESTAMENT NED B. STONEHOUSE, Editor
COMMENTARY ON THE FIRST EPISTLE TO
THE CORINTHIANS
COMMENTAR Y ON
THE FIRST EPISTLE TO
THE CORINTHIANS
THE ENGLISH TEXT WITH INTRODUCTION,
EXPOSITION AND NOTES
by.
F. W. GROSHEIDE, Th.D.
f:r
Professor at the Free University of Amsterdam
WM. B. EERDMANS PUBLISHING COMPANY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
Cop,nght, 1953, by
W.... B. Eerd. ..I JfU Ptlbl. .." ift(l Co.
All rights in this book are reserved. No part may be reproduced
in any manner witbout permission in writing from the puhlisher,
except brief quotations used in connection with a review in a
magazine or newspaper.
Third printing, January 1960
Library of Congress Number 53-8670
PHOTOLITHOPRINTED BY CUSHING - MALLOY. INC.
ANN ARBOR. MICHIGAN. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
EDITOR'S FOREWORD
It is with special pleasure that I introduce this eommentary
from the pen of one of my former teachers in the New Testament,
Professor Dr. F. W. Grosheide of the Free University of Amster
dam. His readiness to collaborate in the preparation of the new
commentary was one of the most encouraging factors in the early
development of plans for the New International Commentary on
the New Testament. And this volume, marked as it is by the
reverence, fairness, thoroughness and relevancy characteristic of
Dr. Grosheide's work, will prove to be a welcome addition to the
exegetical literature devoted to this Epistle.
The General Foreword in the Commentary on the Gospel of
Luke by N orval Geldenhuys, which was published in America in
1951 as the first completed volume in the new Commentary, has
set forth at some length the general character and specifications of
the series, and these details need not be repeated here. Due to the
distinctiveness of Luke and I Corinthians and of their evaluation
in modern times, as well as the individuality of the modern
authors, certain differences in treatment appear. But the present
work no less than the first published volume achieves the central
goal which is to concentrate upon the inspired text and to ex
pound it in a thorough manner.
Since fortunately I Corinthians has almost universally been
received as a genuine composition of Paul, and other critical
questions have been largely conspicuous by their absence, Dr.
Grosheide's Introduction is brief and keeps in view the interests
of the general reader. And the Exposition itself proceeds with
extraordinary singlemindedness to deal with every minute detail
of the text. The author has not chosen to burden his exposition
with many references to literature, but those who know the field
will readily observe that he writes on the background of a com
prehensive knowledge of the modern literature and is taking ac
count of the leading commentaries such as those of Rohertson
Plummer and Johannes Weiss.
5
COMMENTARY ON FIRST CORINTHIANS
A particularly attractive feature of the interpretation is that, in
all of the diversity of the Epistle, a golden thread is discovered
which runs throughout and binds the diverse contents into a re
markable unity. The apostolic admonitions are shown to be the
result of the application of a single conception of the Christian life
to various concrete cases and situations. There is also reflected a
recogn.ition on the part of the apostle of the peculiar character of
the Corinthian Church. At times, indeed, Paul was concerned
with "the weak," whose attitude towards things sacrificed to idols
betrayed a failure to grasp the principles of Christian liberty, and
again with those whose attitude towards marriage bordered on the
ascetic. But the main thrust of the Epistle is directed, according
to Dr. Grosheide, against those whose life principles were quite the
opposite:" the spiritually proud and "puffed-up," who boasted of
their "knowledge" and of their "rights." Their temper was ex
pressed in the rule, "All things are lawful unto me," and this
declaration of freedom was made the ultimate and only principle of
conduct. It is with this fundamental character of the Corinthian
Church as a whole in mind that the apostle in various situations
teaches that love to God and to one's neighbor must determine
when one may exercise his rights and when one must refrain from
doing that which in itself is "good." Thus Chapter 9 is not
viewed as an isolated defense of Paul's apostleship, but as an
appeal to apostolic conduct as an illustration of the principle that
one must be prepared to forego one's personal rights when the
furtherance of the gospel is at stake. Similarly Chapter 13 is not
a parenthetical poem on love, but is introduced as an integral part
of Paul's argument in which. while recognizing the divine origin
of the charismatic gifts, he is concerned to guard against their
overestimation, and to show that their exercise must be restricted
by the principle of love towards and consideration for the wel
fare of the church as well as the salvation of sinners.
Due to the circumstance that a large part of his voluminous
writings have been published in the language of his own country,
the author is not as well-known in the English-speaking world as
he deserves to be. Since 1912 he has been a professor in the the
ological faculty of the Free University of Amsterdam, and is
rounding out • distinguished record of forty years of service
there after a period of five years as a pastor. He is the author
of several scholarly volumes on the New Testament, including no
6
EDITOR'S FOREWORD
fewer than six commentaries in the 14-volume learned Kom
mentaar op lut Nieuwe Testament) of which he was the initial
sponsor. His literary activity includes also scores of articles
contributed to encyclopedias, symposiums and journals; including
the Evangelical Quarterly. For many years he has been president
of the Bible Society of the Netherlands and has participated
actively in the preparation of a modern translation of the New
Testament which has won wide favor in that country. On the
occasion of his 70th birthday several of his former students joined
in presenting him with a volume of essays and studies in honor
of the occasion, a book published under the title Arcana Revelota.
In the midst of all his scholarly activity, Dr. Grosheide has found
time to be an active churchman and is known especially for his
interest in evangelization. The Epistle to the Corinthians serves
admirably, therefore, to utilize both the ripe scholarship and the
practical sensitivity of this distinguished theologian.
NED B. STONEHOUSE
General Editor
Philadelphia, Pa.
March 1, 1953
7
ABBREVIATIONS
ASV The American Standard Version (1901)
AV The Authorized Version (1611)
ERV The English Revised Version (1881)
KNT Kommentaar op het Nieuwe Testament (Grosheide
and Greijdanus)
LXX The Septuagint
PThR The Princeton Theological Review
RSV The Revisel Standard Version (1946)
TWNT Theologisches W orterbuch zum N euen Testaments
(Kittel)
ZNW Zeitschrift ftir die neutestamentl. Wissenschaft
The Scripture text used in this commentary is that of the
American Standard Version of 1901, and is used by special ar
rangement with the Division of Christian Education, National
Council of Churches of Christ in America. This text is printed in
full for the sake of readers who do not read Greek; the expositions
are, however, based upon the Greek text.
CONTENTS
Editor's Foreword ............................ ,.... 5
Introduction ........................................ 13
t. Salutation 1 :1-3 .........................••.•...•• 21
Thanksgiving 1 :4-9 ............................... 26
The Disputes 1 :10-17 ........... . . . . . . . . . . . . •. .• ••• 33
Divine and Worldly Wisdom 1 :18-31 •..••........••• 43
II. False and True Wisdom 2 :1-16 ........ . . • . . . . . . . . . • S6
III. God, His Servants and His Congregation 3 :1-17 ...... 76
Summary 3 :18-23 ............................... 91
IV. Let Nobody Judge in Pride 4:1-13 .................. 97
Matter of Fact Communications 4 :14-21 ............. 111
V. Outrageous Fornication S :1-13 ..................... 118
VI. Forbidden Lawsuits 6:1-11 ........................ 132
Fornication 6:12-20 •............................. 143
VII. Concerning Wedlock 7 :1-7 ........................ 154
Concerning Marriage 7:8-24 ....................... 160
Concerning Virgins 7 :25-40 ..... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 173
.~
VIII. The Eating of Meat Offered to Idols 8 :1-13 .......... 187
IX. Paul's Example in Self-Sacrifice 9 :1-27 .............. 1')9
X. The Example of Israel 10:1-13 ..................... 217
Admonitions Against Idolatry 10 :14-22 .............. 229
Practical Rules About Idol-Meats 10 :23-11 :1 ........ 239
XI. The Veiling of Women 11 :2-16 .................... 247
Abuses of the Lord's Table 11 :17-34 ................ 263
XII. Concerning Spiritual Gifts in General 12 :1-3 ......... 278
The Diversity of Gifts 12 :4-11 ...................... 282
I1Iustration of Christian Unity 12 :12-31a ............. 290
XIII. The Significance of Love 12 :31b-13 :13 .............. 302
XIV. Love and Spiritual Gifts 14:1-19 .................... 315
Decorum in the Exercise of Gifts 14 :20-25 .•.. . . . . . . .. 329
Order in the Assembly 14 :26-33a ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 334
Women to Keep Silent 14 :33b-36 ................... 341
Conclusion and Exhortation 14 :37-40 ............... 344
XV. Declaration of the Gospel 15 :1-11 •.................. J46
The Pledge of Our Resurrection 15 :12-19 ••.......... 355
Future Prospects 15 :20-28 ..........................3 61
Baptisms for the Dead 15 :29-34 .................... 371
The Resurrection Body 15 :35-49 ................... 279
The Assurance of Victory 15 :50-58 ................. 390
XVI. Final Admonitions and Communications 16:1-18 ...... 396
Greetings 16 :19-24 •...•........•........•••..••.. 405